Existing machines for terminating the ends of electrical conductors, such as windings of bobbins, must be able to accommodate different styles and types of terminals. In most cases the terminals are supplied in strip form where the terminals are all attached, one to the other, by means of a carrier strip or segments of one. The strip of terminals is usually wound on a reel. The strip of terminals is fed along a guide track and presented to a work station where the lead terminal is severed from the carrier strip by a cutting blade, positioned with respect to an electrical conductor of a component, such as a bobbin, and terminated to the conductor. The actual feeding of the strip of terminals along the track is usually accomplished by means of an intermittent feed mechanism having a pawl that is spring loaded into engagement with the underside of the strip of terminals. The pawl is moved in one direction to advance a terminal into the workstation and then, the pawl is moved in the opposite direction where the end that engages the terminal pivots against the spring while it rides down over the next terminal and snaps up behind it ready to advance this terminal into the workstation. To reduce problems of chatter and other effects that cause misfeeding the spring that biases the pawl into engagement with the terminal is quite strong. Such feed mechanisms are commonly used in machines for applying electrical terminals to conductors. One characteristic of these feed mechanisms is that during the return stroke of the pawl the strip of terminals must be securely held in place to overcome the frictional forces of the pawl tending to move the strip in the reverse direction, and tending to push the terminals upwardly away from their feed track. A spring loaded drag plate must be used to hold the strip of terminals on the feed track and prevent their movement when the feed pawl is retracted. This spring also is quite strong resulting in considerable friction between the drag plate and the strip of terminals. This friction must be overcome by the actuator that drives the feed advance mechanism, thereby requiring a larger actuator than would otherwise be required. What is needed is a terminal feeding mechanism that completely disengages the strip of terminals prior to and during the return stroke of the pawl thereby obviating the need for a drag plate.